Limonium plant named ‘INLIMPURPA’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Limonium plant named ‘INLIMPURPA’, characterized by its relatively compact, upright and uniformly mounded plant habit; early and freely flowering habit; long flowering period; relatively large inflorescences with upright flowers with white-colored petals and purplish blue-colored sepals; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Limonium perezii.

Cultivar denomination: ‘INLIMPURPA’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Limonium plant, botanically known as Limonium perezii, commercially used as a potted Limonium, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘INLIMPURPA’.

The new Limonium plant is a product of a planned breeding program in Heidesheim and Gensingen, Germany. The objective of the breeding program is to create new pot-type Limonium plants with large inflorescences, attractive flower coloration and long flowering period.

The new Limonium plant originated from an open-pollination in Heidesheim, Germany in June, 2014 of an unnamed selection of Limonium perezii, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Limonium perezii as the male, or seed, parent. The new Limonium plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated open-pollination grown in a controlled greenhouse environment in Heidesheim, Germany in August, 2014.

Asexual reproduction of the new Limonium plant by vegetative cuttings in a controlled environment in Gensingen, Germany since August, 2014 has shown that the unique features of this new Limonium plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Limonium have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘INLIMPURPA’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘INLIMPURPA’ as anew and distinct Limonium plant:

-   -   1. Relatively compact, upright and uniformly mounded plant         habit.     -   2. Early and freely flowering habit.     -   3. Long flowering period.     -   4. Relatively large inflorescences with upright flowers with         white-colored petals and purplish blue-colored sepals.     -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Limonium can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Limonium differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in inflorescence size as plants of the new Limonium have larger inflorescences than plants of the female parent selection. In addition, plants of the new Limonium have larger leaves than plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Limonium can be compared to plants of Limonium perezii ‘Blue Compact’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Limonium differed primarily from plants of ‘Blue Compact’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Limonium are more vigorous than plants of         ‘Blue Compact’.     -   2. Plants of the new Limonium have larger inflorescences than         plants of ‘Blue Compact’.     -   3. Plants of the new Limonium flower for a longer period of time         than plants of ‘Blue Compact’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Limonium plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Limonium plant.

The photograph on the first sheet (FIG. 1) is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘INLIMPURPA’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet (FIG. 2) is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘INLIMPURPA’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the spring in 10.8-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in Loudon, N.H. and under cultural practices typical of commercial Limonium production. During the production of the plants, average daily temperatures were 21° C. Plants were ten weeks from planting when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Measurements were taken on individual plants.

-   Botanical classification: Limonium perezii ‘INLIMPURPA’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed selection of Limonium             perezii, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Limonium             perezii, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By in vitro meristem cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About five to seven days at             temperatures ranging from 21° C. to 27° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About seven to ten days at             temperatures ranging from 18° C. to 21° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three to             four weeks at temperatures ranging from 21° C. to 27° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four to             five weeks at temperatures ranging from 16° C. to 18° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; typically white in color,             actual color of the roots is dependent on substrate             composition, water quality, fertilizer type and formulation,             substrate temperature and physiological age of roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Moderately freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial grown as a             potted and landscape plant; plants relatively compact,             upright and uniformly mounded; leaves basal; freely             flowering habit; numerous flowers arranged in compact             dichasial cymes; vigorous growth habit and rapid growth             rate.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of foliar plane.—About 20             cm.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of inflorescences.—About 30             cm.         -   Plant diameter (spread).—About 34 cm. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Basal rosette, simple.         -   Length.—About 8 cm.         -   Width.—About 7.5 cm.         -   Shape.—Roughly rhomboidal.         -   Apex.—Aristate.         -   Base.—Broadly obtuse to truncate.         -   Margin.—Entire to irregularly lobed, lobes shallow; ciliate;             margins, undulate.         -   Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth,             glabrous; coriaceous; slightly glossy to matte.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface:             Close to 147A; venation, close to 147A. Developing and fully             expanded leaves, lower surface: Darker green than 146A;             venation, darker green than 146A.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 12 cm to 13 cm. Diameter: About 2.5             mm by 3 mm. Strength: Strong; flexible. Texture and luster,             upper and lower surfaces: Slightly pubescent; slightly             glossy. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 146A;             towards the base, close to 178A to 178B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and habit.—Single flowers arranged in             relatively large and dense dichasial cymes; freely flowering             habit with about 90 to 100 flowers developing per             inflorescence; flowers face mostly upright.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Long flowering period, plants             flower from spring into the autumn; early flowering habit.         -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About five to seven days;             persistent.         -   inflorescence height, excluding peduncle.—About 4 cm to 5.5             cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 4.2 cm to 5.5 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 6 mm.         -   Flower depth (height).—About 7 mm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 2 mm. Diameter: Less than 1 mm.             Shape: Lanceolate, oblong. Color: Close to 147A.         -   Petals.—Quantity and arrangement: Five or occasionally six             in a single whorl; petals are fused at the base. Length:             About 1 cm. Width: About 1.5 mm. Shape: Oblanceolate. Apex:             Broadly acute to obtuse or occasionally recuse. Margin:             Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous;             velvety. Color: When opening and fully opened, upper             surface: Close to NN155A; venation, close to NN155A; color             does not change with subsequent development. When opening             and fully opened, lower surface: Close to NN155A, venation,             close to NN155A; color does not change with subsequent             development.         -   Sepals.—Quantity and arrangement: Five in a single whorl,             totally fused; calyx tubular in shape. Length: About 6 mm.             Width: About 1.5 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Bluntly acute.             Margin: Entire, fused. Texture and luster, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; satiny. Color, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to 94B.         -   Flower bracts.—Quantity and arrangement: Two at the base of             the flowers; opposite. Length: About 2.5 mm. Width: About             1 mm. Shape: Acicular. Apex: Acuminate. Margin: Entire.             Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous; slightly glossy. Color, upper surface: Close to             144A. Color, lower surface: Close to 147A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 26 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Aspect: Upright. Strength: Strong, flexible. Texture and             luster: Smooth, glabrous; slightly glossy. Color: Close to             147A.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 2 mm to 3 mm. Diameter: Less than             1 mm. Strength: Strong, flexible. Angle: About 45° from             peduncle axis. Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous;             slightly glossy. Color: Close to 147A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen number: Five per             flower. Filament length: About 3 mm. Filament color: Close             to NN155A. Anther length: About 1 mm. Anther shape: Oblong.             Anther color: Close to 1 1D. Amount of pollen: None             observed. Gynoecium: Pistil number: One per flower. Pistil             length: About 3.5 mm. Style length: About 3 mm. Style color:             Close to 157D. Stigma shape: Capitate. Stigma color: Close             to 11D. Ovary color: Close to 144A to 144B.         -   Seeds and fruits.—To date, seed and fruit development have             not been observed on plants of the new Limonium. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Limonium have     not been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Limonium plants. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Limonium have been observed to     have good garden performance and to tolerate wind, rain and     temperatures ranged from about 5° C. to about 35° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Limonium plant named ‘INLIMPURPA’ as illustrated and described. 